Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang raises alarm in Houston schools
BELLAIRE, Texas - A Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua (TdA) has cast a shadow over Houston, particularly in its middle schools, with a recent arrest underscoring deeper concerns about the gang’s reach into local communities.
On Monday, the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested 32-year-old Jorgenys Robertson Cova, a Venezuelan native who entered the U.S. illegally two years ago. Cova is suspected of recruiting middle school students at Jane Long Academy and Las Americas, both within the Houston Independent School District.
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Residents of the Bellaire community, where the schools are located, expressed concern over the growing threat. Janice, a local resident, remarked, "A lot of things have happened that are on the news, so if it’s happening elsewhere it might also be happening in our neighborhoods as well, and we’re unaware of it." The community's sense of safety has been rattled by the news as they call for increased police and authority intervention to prevent an escalation to "a serious situation," Janice noted.
"I think it’s bad for the neighborhood and for the community and I think the police department and authorities need to do something about it before we get to a serious situation," another neighbor said.
The gang's activities are not confined to Houston with recent weeks seeing Tren de Aragua members arrested across Colorado, New York, Chicago, San Antonio, and El Paso, signifying the transnational reach of the organization, which has posed significant challenges for law enforcement in identifying its members.
The tension felt by Hispanic communities as a result of these developments is palpable. A local resident emphasized the negative stereotypes that such criminal activities can reinforce, stating in Spanish that innocent immigrants from Central America often "pay the price for the bad actions of other immigrants" and expressed hope that authorities can effectively address the issue.
"As Hispanics, we pay the price for everything. They take us like delinquents like we’re bad people, and unfortunately, it’s because our own people give us a bad reputation," another neighbor said.
The governor’s office has weighed in on the matter, with Governor Greg Abbott’s office offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected Tren de Aragua members who have been or are involved in criminal activity and pose an increasing danger to the public safety of Texans.
Read more about TdA and what the state is doing to combat it, here.